The Arizona sentinel., 1887-02-26
POLITE MANNERS.
Courtesy an Air-CushiOn Which Eases
 Life's Jolts Wonderfully.


 Life's Jolts Wonderfully.
 Some people choose to be extensively blunt and discourteous, especially if they chance to differ in opinion or prac- tice from others, because they consider politeness to be a sort of flattery with which truth is inevitably at war.
 But even the discharge of unpleasant duties and the speaking of unpleasant truths do not necessarily imply harsh ness; on the contrary that is the least effective auxiliary of truth. Rather take the advice of Edwards, and ''be like lion to mems consciences, like a lamb to their persons" Advice divested of the harshness and yet retain ing the honest warmth of truth, has been lkened to "honey put around the brim of vessel full of wormwood." In the old Italian city of Siena is a beauti- ful garden promenade always open to the public. There no patrolling police man suspiciously dogs our footsteps in the interests of law and order, but modest sign-board here and there in- forms us that 1.-The preservation of the flowers and other objects is confded to the gentlemanliness of the public" Compare this with our American mastiff-like warning: ''Keep off the grass"
 The fact that many a man both good and great has been, either from care lessness or choice, brusque in manners and rough in speech, affords not the slightest shadow of justification to those who share the faults of such men with out their virtues. Even the broad skirts of Dr. Johnson's intellectual renown are not broad enough to cover up his clownishness; albeit he once said, with his usual modesty, q think myself a very polite man." and Allan Ramsay declared that he had always found him such, and Sir John Hawkins vouched for his being ''an admirer of genteel manners" With still less reason should we strive to shield our selves behind the example of the first Napoleon, who, according to Madame de Stael, took pleasure in being rude.
 Politeness has been compared to an air-cushion, which, although there is apparently nothing in it, yet eases our jolts wonderfully; and an American writer speaks of it as the oil on the wheels of worldly progress. Even if there is nothing more in politeness than isindicated by these homes comparisons if it is simply what Chesterfield calls it. 1.-The art of pleasing even thus it is a most desirable art. But when we go below its surface and consider that it's foundations are based upon the universal needs of the human soul, we see that. it is no longer the most in- significant of the arts, but the very finest of them all. If, as Emerson declares, ca sainted soul is always elegant" it is because true elegance is an essential part of saintli- ness. Courtesy is the legitimate off spring of Christian charity, and the etiquette of politeness is only the form which embodies the spirit of this Christian courtesy. It is said that genuine courtesy will express itself without etiquette? So will physical wants express themselves by signs, without spoken language, yet, at the best, but rudely and imperfectly. Courtesy will express itself in a thou 1 sand ways and on a thousand occasions not provided for by etiquette-and it is fortunate for the preservation of spon- taneity in our natures that this is so; but when custom has provided language embracing the most common forms in which courtesy has been found to embody itself, it is an insult to courtesy not to use the language in our intercourse with those who through it ! endeavor to express their feelings of | kindness toward us.
 Habit, however, especially in our Younger years, will make the common ! forms of etiquette so natural that they will be observed almost unconsciously. i The perfection of good breeding is that | habit of politeness. which, from having become second nature, not only has the appearance of spontaneity. but is in fact as truly spontaneous as though it had never been otherwise. As art is perfect in proportion as it approaches the perfection of nature, so he is the best bred in whom we never notice either the lack or the presence of polite ness as such-in whom neither want nor superabundance offends. A studied and obtrusive politeness is more un- welcome than frank bluntness. Prof George [. Carey, ip Chdutauguan.